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    Naheed
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    This document discusses the key characteristics, types, and organization of computer memory. It describes memory in terms of location, capacity, unit of transfer, access methods, performance, physical type, and organization. Memory includes registers, caches, main memory, and external memory like disks. Faster but smaller memory like registers and caches sit higher in the memory hierarchy than larger but slower memory like disks. The performance and physical attributes of different memory technologies determine their role and placement in the computer system.

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    Computer Architecture

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    Computer_Arch_05

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    This document discusses the key characteristics, types, and organization of computer memory. It describes memory in terms of location, capacity, unit of transfer, access methods, performance, physical type, and organization. Memory includes registers, caches, main memory, and external memory like disks. Faster but smaller memory like registers and caches sit higher in the memory hierarchy than larger but slower memory like disks. The performance and physical attributes of different memory technologies determine their role and placement in the computer system.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    9 views14 pages

    Computer Arch 05

    Uploaded by

    Naheed
    This document discusses the key characteristics, types, and organization of computer memory. It describes memory in terms of location, capacity, unit of transfer, access methods, performance, physical type, and organization. Memory includes registers, caches, main memory, and external memory like disks. Faster but smaller memory like registers and caches sit higher in the memory hierarchy than larger but slower memory like disks. The performance and physical attributes of different memory technologies determine their role and placement in the computer system.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 14

    Computer

    Architecture
    Lecture 5
    Characteristics
    • Location
    • Capacity
    • Unit of transfer
    • Access method
    • Performance
    • Physical type
    • Physical characteristics
    • Organisation
    Memory
    • Location
    – Internal
    – External

    • Capacity
    – Word size
    • The natural unit of organisation
    – Number of words
    • or Bytes
    Unit of Transfer
    • Internal
    – Usually governed by data bus width
    • External
    – Usually a block which is much larger than a word
    • Addressable unit
    – Smallest location which can be uniquely addressed
    – Word internally
    – Cluster on M$ disks
    Access Methods (1)
    • Sequential
    – Start at the beginning and read through in order
    – Access time depends on location of data and previous location
    – e.g. tape
    • Direct
    – Individual blocks have unique address
    – Access is by jumping to vicinity plus sequential search
    – Access time depends on location and previous location
    – e.g. disk
    Access Methods (2)
    • Random
    – Individual addresses identify locations exactly
    – Access time is independent of location or previous access
    – e.g. RAM
    • Associative
    – Data is located by a comparison with contents of a portion of the
    store
    – Access time is independent of location or previous access
    – e.g. cache
    Memory Hierarchy
    • Registers
    – In CPU
    • Internal or Main memory
    – May include one or more levels of cache
    – “RAM”
    • External memory
    – Backing store
    Memory Hierarchy - Diagram
    Performance
    • Access time
    – Time between presenting the address and getting
    the valid data
    • Memory Cycle time
    – Time may be required for the memory to “recover”
    before next access
    – Cycle time is access + recovery
    • Transfer Rate
    – Rate at which data can be moved
    Physical Types
    • Semiconductor
    – RAM
    • Magnetic
    – Disk & Tape
    • Optical
    – CD & DVD
    • Others
    – Bubble
    – Hologram
    Physical Characteristics
    • Decay
    • Volatility
    • Erasable
    • Power consumption
    Organisation
    • Physical arrangement of bits into words
    • Not always obvious
    • e.g. interleaved
    The Bottom Line
    • How much?
    – Capacity
    • How fast?
    – Time is money
    • How expensive?
    Hierarchy List
    • Registers
    • L1 Cache
    • L2 Cache
    • Main memory
    • Disk cache
    • Disk
    • Optical
    • Tape

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